Why "Pure Yang?"

[sea-dog]

Hello everyone,

 

This may be a silly question, in which case I do apologize, but I was wondering what "Pure Yang" refers to and it's relevance to Taoism. I know there is a 'pure yang' style of kung fu and a 'pure yang sect' and I have vague memories of a book I read a long time ago referring to the immortal spirit body as a pure yang body.

 

So, the dumb question is...

What about yin? Don't we strive for balance between true yin and yang?

 

I get nervous posting questions like this on discussions boards because I'm sure this is painfully obvious to a lot of you, so I hope you will be gentle with me. :-)

 

 

Thanks

-Seadog

[ChiDragon]

No problem. Your question gives me a notion that you have a brilliant mind. Your question is very pure and precisely to the point of what you are asking.

 

The term "yang" was referring to something that is pure, positive, best but not contaminated by any external influences, whatsoever, physically or mentally. The term a "pure yang body" was, only an expression, referring to a body that was not introduced to any abusive substances such as bad foods like fat meat, alcohol, sex, or anything that was harmful to the body. In general, it was an indication that one wants to maintain the body in a good and healthy condition to prolong life.

 

PS...

This is, purely, the reflection of the point of view of a true ancient Chinese Taoist.

Edited April 9, 2012 by ChiDragon

[Harmonious Emptiness]

Hello everyone,

 

This may be a silly question, in which case I do apologize, but I was wondering what "Pure Yang" refers to and it's relevance to Taoism. I know there is a 'pure yang' style of kung fu and a 'pure yang sect' and I have vague memories of a book I read a long time ago referring to the immortal spirit body as a pure yang body.

 

So, the dumb question is...

What about yin? Don't we strive for balance between true yin and yang?

 

I get nervous posting questions like this on discussions boards because I'm sure this is painfully obvious to a lot of you, so I hope you will be gentle with me. :-)

 

 

Thanks

-Seadog

 

I could be wrong, but I believe it has to do with, as you said, the spirit being more yang whereas the physical is more yin.

 

I think there may be something about the pure yang being within yin, so cultivate yin to obtain the pure yang and then let go of the yin to rise with the pure yang. Getting too caught up in semantics is just diversion though anyway, imo.

[tccii]

Terminology varies between schools, but Pure Yang, in the sense of Pure Yang Qi, is used to distinguish Pre-Heaven Qi from ordinary Post -Heaven Yang Qi. In other words, Pure Yang is often synonymous with Primoridal Qi, Original Qi, or Pre-Heaven Qi. Since Pre-heaven Qi exists prior to differentiation between Yin and Yang, "Pure Yang Qi" is not Yang except in the sense that it is contrasted with Post-Heaven Qi.

 

Or, as one of our teachers, Master Li, told us, "Don't worry about it, just practice."

[ChiDragon]

The definition of "Pure Yang(純陽)" stands alone as defined in the Yi Jing(易經). Primordial Qi has its own definition in TCM. One must study the Yi Jing in order to understand the Yin-Yang concept. All the terminologies in the Chinese history, regardless of what background, were derived from Yi Jing based upon the attributions of yin and yang.

Edited April 19, 2012 by ChiDragon

[ChiDragon]

"Pure Yang(純陽)" is a description for something that is self contained, independence of any external reliance, active but not passive. For example, the universe and the sun are considered to be "Pure Yang(純陽)". They both give other than receive. The technical name for the sun is 太陽(most yang) in Chinese.

[Thunder_Gooch]

"Pure Yang(純陽)" is a description for something that is self contained, independence of any external reliance, active but not passive. For example, the universe and the sun are considered to be "Pure Yang(純陽)". They both give other than receive. The technical name for the sun is 太陽(most yang) in Chinese.

 

 

What is yang energy that has been fused with yin energy, is there a technical term for this? Is it void energy?

 

Thanks

Edited April 21, 2012 by More_Pie_Guy

[ChiDragon]

In the Chinese language, anything that is related to yin-yang(陰陽). The two characters are always used and appeared in the description. In your case, it would be described as 陰陽合壁(the combination of yin-yang).

[Thunder_Gooch]

In the Chinese language, anything that is related to yin-yang(陰陽). The two characters are always used and appeared in the description. In your case, it would be described as 陰陽合壁(the combination of yin-yang).

 

 

Thanks

[gendao]

Are Yin & Yang:

 

1) Binary (1 & 0): Where Yin is simply the absence of Yang (like - & + electrical charges)?

2) Polar opposites (1 & -1): Where Yin & Yang act as opposing action-reaction forces?

3) Transverse: "Complementary" energy flowing together, but in perpendicular "dimensions?"

[exorcist_1699]

On 4/10/2012 at 4:50 AM, Harmonious Emptiness said:

I could be wrong, but I believe it has to do with, as you said, the spirit being more yang whereas the physical is more yin.

 

I think there may be something about the pure yang being within yin, so cultivate yin to obtain the pure yang and then let go of the yin to rise with the pure yang. Getting too caught up in semantics is just diversion though anyway, imo.

 

 

In Taoism and TCM , the yin and yang construction is , in fact , a system composed of multi-levels ; thing that is defined as yin at certain level can be viewed as yang from other level .For example , we humans consist of a physical body and the qi that motivates it , and  while the material part is defined as yin , qi, the functional and energetic part is defined as yang; however, when we go down to its physical level, the body can further be divided into yin and yang : head as yang, abdomen as yin; back and shoulder as yang, front breast as yin ; external side as yang, internal side as yin..etc.

 

Similarly, viewing from a higher level , say from the level of pre-heavenly qi,  qi that exists inside our body ( those flowing in the channels and organs , or as a shield that safeguards us  ) , whatever forms they are, are yin-typed .

 

A reading of TCM writings will give you a detailed classification of them , which not only covering our body , but those herbs being used and all other natural things.

 

In Taoist alchemy, because its main goal is to teach people how to attain their personal eternity and freedom, not to cure people 's diseases on daily basis,  so there is no need to go into those complicated levels where diseases arise , and analyze them ; the pre and post-heavenly framework plus the related yin/ yang classification (ie, the famous saying of " 二重天地, 四個陰陽" ( "two levels of heaven and four different kinds of yin and yang" ) ) , together with the jing-qi-shen process is enough to explain everything.

 

But why saying  that qi inside us is yin-typed, why saying that  the pre-heavenly qi outside us is yang or pure yang ?

 

The reason is : Qi that lives inside  us is something of an internalized lump sum , limited by the physical body , and its deteriorating nature means  a fixed vector pointing towards a doomed end, ie , death . In a word , post-heavenly qi is something limited in space and time ; pure yang-typed of pre-heavenly qi ,on the other hand, is free of such limitations ; attain it means going  beyond time and space...

 

The only solution that can rescue us out of such a post-heavenly predicament lies in the deeply hidden yang-typed of jing (陽精) ; as the ancient Taoist masters implicitly say  :

 

 

趙緣督： " 一點陽精，秘在形山，不在心腎，而在乎玄關一竅 ".

 

（Zhao Yuan Du says: " there is a little of yang-typed of jing deeply hidden in us , not inbetween  the  kidneys or at the heart, but in the Magic gateway " );

 

 

李道純：" 留得陽精，個個長生 ＂.

 

( Li Dao Chun says: " whoever capable of retaining this yang jing , whoever lives forever". )

 

 

Our spirit, this short-lived, being limited by a physical body, entangled by partial intelligence , full of worries and annoyances, one , is also classified as yin for the same reason.

Edited November 29, 2019 by exorcist_1699

[Harmonious Emptiness]

Thanks for these explanations exorcist_1699.

 

So then, when the spirit is tranquil and unperturbed, would it be classified as yang spirit?

 

I think what I was also referring to earlier is related to "taking the yang from the water trigram (one yang surrounded by two yin) to put in place of the middle of the fire trigram (one yin surrounded by two yang)." I speculate that this refers to having both the immortal yang spirit (in the center) within the immortal yang body (which appears as physical but is no longer limited to the the physical).

[exorcist_1699]

On 4/23/2012 at 7:36 PM, Harmonious Emptiness said:

Thanks for these explanations exorcist_1699.

 

So then, when the spirit is tranquil and unperturbed, would it be classified as yang spirit?

 

I think what I was also referring to earlier is related to "taking the yang from the water trigram (one yang surrounded by two yin) to put in place of the middle of the fire trigram (one yin surrounded by two yang)." I speculate that this refers to having both the immortal yang spirit (in the center) within the immortal yang body (which appears as physical but is no longer limited to the the physical).

 

1) From Taoist criterion , even "the spirit is tranquil and unperturbed " ,and even it having some supernatural ability through some training , for example, capable of predicting things happen in future, is still entangled in the realm of yin ; it is only after having this spirit refined by the incoming pre-heavenly qi , and nourished it for some period of time inside us, can this yin-typed of spirit become something yang or pure yang ; although both can show us an ability of detaching from the physical body , the yin-typed spirit's fate of leaving it , different from the Taoist real independent one , always leads to death , not any real achievement . So, from the Taoist point of view ,say  the Tibetan way of transmigration (ie, keep having the need of making use of the physical body ) , is hardly any kind of significant achievement .

 

2)The saying : "taking the yang from the water trigram (one yang surrounded by two yin) to put in place of the middle of the fire trigram (one yin surrounded by two yang)." , in fact, is to teach us how to make use of the post-heavenly intercourse between yin and yang so as to assimilate the pre-heavenly yang qi inside us ; please notice that at pre-heavenly level, of course, jing, qi and shen is not split .

Edited November 29, 2019 by exorcist_1699

[Harmonious Emptiness]

1)it is only after having this spirit refined by the incoming pre-heavenly qi

 

2)to teach us how to make use of the post-heavenly intercourse between yin and yang so as to assimilate the pre-heavenly yang qi inside us

 

Thank you for your replies!

 

1) Is the incoming pre-heavenly qi obtained from external sources, such as stars or trees?

 

2) Is there a specific text that you feel explains this process more clearly than The Secret of the Golden Flower?

[exorcist_1699]

Thank you for your replies!

 

1) Is the incoming pre-heavenly qi obtained from external sources, such as stars or trees?

 

2) Is there a specific text that you feel explains this process more clearly than The Secret of the Golden Flower?

 

1) Pre-heavenly qi, in fact, exists everywhere in emptiness; that means, it also exists inside us , but in a degenerated, limited form; in its deteriorating way ...ie, the mentioned yang-typed of jing;

 

By using our yin-typed of mind, no matter how hard we visualize , how much attention we pay on the post-heavenly qi, hardly can we recruit it because there is a huge gap between these two levels of heaven.

 

2)Besides the mentioned book , there are many other Taoist books talk about this issue as it is crucial. Please see the book list I presented in the Chinese sub- forum here .

[Manas]

So to be honest, this post is the only real reason I came to this forum. 

Just a sec. This is serious business.

 

Hookay here we go.

 

----------------------

 

Pure Yang is. Pure Yin is not. 

The Yin inside the human Yang is the True Yin.

The Yang inside the human Yin is the True Yang. 

 

Take the True Yin out of the Yang.

Take the True Yang out of the Yin.

 

Mix the True Yang and True Yin and you have Pure Yang.

Mix the True Yang and True Yin and you have not Pure Yin.

 

-------------------------

 

See, Pure Yang contains the True Yin. 

In fact, everything everywhere contains the True Yin.

Therefore Pure Yin... "does not exist."

It doesn't exist because it is nowhere and everywhere.

 

True Yang however, is not anywhere but in only One place and One place alone.

It's not your Dantien.

It's not your heart or your veins.

It's not your brain or your nervous system.

It's not in your five organs or 6 digestive systems.

It's not in your eyes, ears, mouth, or nose, or other vacuous regions.

It's not your third eye.

It's not in your three huns and seven pos.

It's neither inside nor outside the body.

 

Nope, it's only in the original cavity.

 

---------------------------

 

Upon the birth of the postcelestial

True Yang becomes as Yin.

Meanwhile True Yin becomes as Yang. 

 

What man calls Yang is actually True Yin.

What man calls Yin is actually True Yang. 

 

Therefore, in order to become an immortal

You must cease being a man.

 

This is the hardest part.

 

-----------------------------

 

Now, this does not mean Yin is Yang and Yang is Yin.

This is a very hasty judgment that only neophytes tend to make. 

 

You cannot take Yin as True Yang and Yang as True Yin. 

No you must break them apart.

You must dissect them. 

You must burn them. 

You must bully them. 

 

You MUST do this until you can't take it anymore.

You just can't.

 

You just won't.

 

And THEN True Yang will appear from Yin. 

And THEN True Yin will appear from Yang. 

 

 

You CANNOT skip this part. I am sorry. I am so sorry. You just can't. I'm sorry it had to be this way it's not your fault. 

I'm sorry, but in order to be an immortal you have to give up the one thing that no one in their right mind will ever give up.

 

You MUST give up being a man. 

 

You may FEEL that this was unnecessary.

You may SEEM to think that this is unnecessary.

 

BUT IT IS NECESSARY.

 

 

Oh why.

 

Why.

 

Why?

 

 

Because Yin and Yang create one another.

Because in this world you cannot know Love without Pain.

 

Love that sustains you. 

Love that brought you here, that holds you together, that you will return to. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Tao doesn't listen to whining.

 

The Tao is not moved by prayers or curses. 

 

Remember that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But once this happens, you are done. 

You are done. 

 

And you must do nothing else. 

 

I mean no, not really.

You can.

Sure, you can do anything at this point.

 

 

No matter what you do, it will happen. 

 

But the best thing to do now is to sit back.

Relax

Meditate

Perform your favorite rituals

Stir the cauldron and wait for gold 

Watch some tv, work your ass off, whatever

 

 

The only thing you have to do is to never forget True Yin and True Yang

 

Never forget it.

Never.

NEVER forget either of them.

 

 

As if you can... lol...

 

 

Always hold them within the deepest depths of your heart.

 

And True Yin and True Yang will get together on their own. 

 

 

Did I say you must do nothing else?

 

Oh no.

No no no.

 

 

No, you will do absolutely everything and anything at this stage.

 

Believe me. You think you won't.

But you will

 

 

I don't have to tell you what because you will already know what to do.

 

But you will be the busiest man in the world.

 

You will work HARD.

You will play HARD.

You will rest HARD.

 

You don't have to.

You don't have to, believe me, you don't.

 

 

You don't have to do anything at this stage.

 

 

 

BUT YOU WILL.

YOU WILL DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING BECAUSE YOU LOVE LIFE SO MUCH.

 

 

You'll be so busy that no one in their right mind will think you're human.

 

 

Remember.

You aren't.

You're an immortal.

 

 

...anyway, this will bring True Yin and True Yang together.

 

--------------------------------------------

 

Once they're together True Yin will be as nothing and True Yang will be as everything.

 

True Yang will UTTERLY DOMINATE True Yin. True Yin LOVES being OBLITERATED.

 

And you will become Pure Yang.

 

 

You will have everything you have ever wanted.

What more should I say?

 

And you, immortal, will truly understand that you will never be a real human until you've gone through this.

 

 

So anyway.

To the original question... what was it...

 

Oh yeah. Why Pure Yang?

 

 

Because I wouldn't have come down here if it was Pure Yin.

[awaken]

When we do meditation, we have chi. The chi is yang. But it's not pure yang.

By the chi, we can go to next step, the light 烏肝

烏肝 is a noun from 悟真篇

It is a light, your body's light.

By following the light, we can open the heart and secret door 玄關一竅

Then we get 兔髓, another light.

By 兔髓, we can go into four dhyana, a deep samadhi.

After the deep samadhi, if we are lucky, we can get 陽生.

The 陽生 is produce on pure yang.

Therefore, it is a long process.